Click, Click
by welcome ghosts
Summary: [S4 spoilers] The stupid electrical socket was staring at him, and House knew what he wanted to do. First, however, he needed to page someone. What might've happened if House had paged someone other than Cutthroat. [HouseCamish]


**Season Four Spoilers!**

A/N: Ah, another one-shot idea attacked me after watching Tuesday's episode. If you haven't seen that yet, stop reading. Hope you enjoy it. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own House!

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The stupid electrical socket was staring at him. 

Well, figuratively at least. Obviously it didn't have eyes.

It was taunting him – begging him – to stick the knife inside. House could nearly feel the shock his body would receive if he gave into the temptation. The painful, jolting sensation, and then, maybe, he would get his own ninety-seven seconds of bliss.

_Click, click_

He opened and closed the blade, concentrating on how cool the metal felt in his hand, rather than the fact that the handle was slipping a bit in his grasp – his palms were beginning to sweat. He knew he wanted to do it.

_Click, click. _

He needed to page someone first, though. House didn't necessarily _care_ if he died, but he'd prefer not to take his last breath in his office while he still had a patient whose puzzle he hadn't solved. In his head, he went through the people he could call, hoping he would decide before he caved and just shoved the knife in the socket.

_Click, click._

Wilson? No, that wouldn't work. He didn't want his friend to see him like this. Maybe House didn't care if he lived or died, but he was pretty sure Wilson would be upset.

Cuddy? No, that wasn't right either. She might think he was messing around and not come fast enough, and then if he died, she would feel horrible that she hadn't run to him right away.

Chase? No, no way. House didn't want Chase to be (possibly) the last person to see him living.

Foreman wasn't at Princeton Plainsboro, so that ruled him out.

That left… Cameron? Yes, she would come. But, no, he couldn't page her. House didn't want her to see him like this either, and he wasn't quite sure why.

_Click, click._

One of his new applicants? That might work. Not Mormon – too religious. He might start spouting theological nonsense at him if House regained conciousness. Not six or nine or whatever his number was – he might not want to leave the patient game. Thirteen was running a test, House knew, and he was slightly worried that old non-doctor might not know what do.

Cutthroat Bitch was a legitimate option. She would come running as soon as he paged her, and House could care less what he looked like in front of her. Although, there was the distinct possibility that she might hold her life-saving ability over his head in order to be hired.

House stared at the socket for a moment before he made up his mind.

_Click._

The knife opened, and House stood, then took a step forward.

_Click._

He closed it once more, and then grabbed his pager. His 911 message would be sent in just a moment. He hoped for a second that it wouldn't be too late, and then realized that it didn't really matter if it was.

_Click._

The blade glinted eerily in the dim office light, and House took his final step. He moved the knife forward, closer and closer, until it was in the socket.

---

_Beep, beep, beep._

The familiar sound of her beeper filled the room where Cameron was standing. She was just finishing speaking with a patient and was about to leave for the night. She excused herself and then glanced down. It was an emergency page from House.

That was strange. She had had maybe two brief conversations – if you could call them that – with House since she had taken her new job. Why would he page her now of all times?

Sighing, Cameron hurried to his office, wondering what the hell he wanted now.

She reached the door quickly, although she wasn't sure how much time had passed. As she peeked through the glass, Cameron's breath caught in her throat and she nearly screamed.

Attempting to calm herself, she ran into the office and kneeled next to House's limp body. In a manner of seconds, she took in her surroundings. His hand was burned and blackened, and he wasn't breathing. She glanced behind him and saw the electrical outlet. Then she looked down and saw the knife lying innocently next to House's hand.

"What have you done?_"_ Cameron whispered sadly. Then with a deep breath, she propelled herself into a detached doctor, and tried to save House's life.

---

"You really outdid yourself that time."

House opened his eyes. That wasn't the voice he was expecting to wake up to. He thought it would Wilson, happy he was alive, but angry at him for doing something so stupid. Or maybe even Cuddy, there to lecture him on protocol.

But he really wasn't expecting Cameron to be sitting by his bedside. He wasn't going to page _her_. He had chosen to use Cutthroat, but at the very last second, House found himself sending the page elsewhere.

"Yeah, well, I'm all about the next big thing," House said, grimacing slightly. He really didn't feel good.

"And shoving a knife into an electrical socket was the best you could come up with?" Cameron smiled slightly.

"Seemed like a good idea at the time," House said.

"You nearly died."

"That was the point," House replied.

"To kill yourself?" Cameron looked shocked.

"No, to _nearly_ kill myself."

"So you're _sort of_ suicidal?"

"Trying to kill yourself does not necessarily make you suicidal." House paused. "Actually, it does, so scratch that. I was trying to see if there was anything after death."

"I see. What'd you find out?"

"That I was right all along," House said. "Nothing there. Dead is dead."

Cameron didn't respond; she already knew exactly what House thought about the afterlife, and had no desire to rehash it right now. Especially not when he had come so close to dying. "I'm glad you're okay, House," she said instead.

"I guess I should thank you for coming to my rescue."

"You're welcome," Cameron said.

"I said 'I guess I should thank you.' I didn't actually thank you."

"I've got to get going," Cameron said, ignoring his last comment. "Don't fall asleep or try to go anywhere - Wilson needs to talk to you."

Cameron turned and began to walk out of his room, but paused in the doorway. "House, don't shove anything else into outlet. I know this may come as a shock to you, but people – just a few, but some all the same – would miss you if you died."

House said nothing; he merely stared at her.

Cameron smiled began to exit the room once more, leaving House with the slightly discomforting thought that he wished she would come back.

And as he watched her disappear around the corner, the sound of her shoes hitting the hospital floor reached his ears.

_Click, click._

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A/N: Did you like it? Maybe you could leave me a review...


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